How old do you have to be to edc a folder?

I think I was 12 or 13, my Dad bought me a slim folding Imperial lock back, made in Ireland. Still have it. I think 10 is a good age to get one and show how to use it properly. I even like the idea of getting a wooden knife earlier to let the kid get used to the idea of a knife. It was not long after I started watching old Tarzan films when I was bitten by the bug. I started to carry a plastic toy knife in my swim trunks when I went to the local pool and then I tried shaping a fixed blade from a piece of pine, wrapped some twine around the handle, made a sheath from a paper towel roll and carried it on my belt and started climbing the trees in backyard and by the local creek. That was my Tarzan phase. Then I got a small plastic utility thing with a can opener, small pen blade and corkscrew, kept in the arm sleeve pocket of my bomber jacket.
 
I think I was around 10 when my parents got me a little lockback for scouts. They sat me down and talked to me about how it's a tool and not a toy and to never take it out unless I needed to use it and to never take it to school. I wasn't into knives back then anyways, so I didn't do any jackassery with it and only ever took it to scouts. Every minor is different though, there were some kids at school that I knew that weren't at all responsible and I wouldn't have given them a knife at 10 if I was their parent. OP if you're under 18 I would talk to your parents about it and tell them why you want one and see what they say.
 
I bought my first knife when I was in the second grade. It was tiny and smaller than a peanut. I don't recall if I carried it all the time. By 3rd grade, I had a larger slip joint that I bought and I believe carried most of the time. By about 6th grade had a Case jack knife which I carried through college. It did everything I needed to do with a knife then. We lived in the country and hunting, fishing, hiking, woods bumming, and trapping were totally normal things we did. I got my first 22 rifle in the 9th grade. Before that, I would never have had enough money to feed it as we shot a lot.

If you are looking at choosing a knife, take a look at the Victorinox Swiss Army knives or something along the lines of a Spyderco Delica. They will function well for you and you'll learn about carrying and using a knife. Be sure to pay attention to any local knife laws. Don't carry a knife in school prior to college. You have to learn what works for you.
 
I couldn't believe my eyes the other day when I just found out about the new tobacco age law. (I don't watch the news ever cause it's boring and negative). So if the government wants to maintain EXTRA control overwhat we can and cannot do and you have to be 21 to buy both tobacco and liquor, then i think you should have to be 21 also to carry a legal EDC knife as well as go to war. Fair is only fair
 
1) I know certain culture/country do give knife to really young children to use, to some, it is a necessity and part of the upbringing. So as long knife safety is taught and the child is responsible enough to keep/use it, personally I don't see there is any restriction unless it is law forbidden.

2) Depends on local law.

3) I too would agree on something simple, like a Wenger(SAK with blade lock) or Opinel. I would advise to make a clear distinction between first knife vs first folding knife.
 
It's not how old you need to be. EDC a knife is responsibly. Hunting down in South Carolina fixed blade belt carry. Usually went to get some thing to eat after. But my knife in my glove box. Had no need to have it on me. I have been in quite a few fights. Never pulled a weapon or even thought of it.
 
I started carrying a SAK when i was 6 yo.
Was perfectly normal back then (i'm 34 and from the Alps),everyone had one and you were the weirdo if you didn't.
The knife closed a couple times on my fingers...until i got the bigger version with the lock :)
 
Luke Scrase said:
How old do you have to be to edc a folder? Where can you carry one? What is the best first edc folder for a first tie knife carrier?
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Today, or yesteryear, an where are you standing when you ask the question.
Me, 5/6 yrs old, living on a rural farm, going to a small rural school that didn’t allow firearms until you were 10 (had to be in ones locker)
but that was then, and there.
EDC’ing is different than teaching safe knife practices, so teaching those practices, between the parents and their children, carrying EDC a law, no different than any other law, obey or disobey, just accept the consequences. Always obey gravity though, it’s the law.
 
I was very young when I started carrying a folder, probably around 7 like some of the other dinosaurs around here. If you train a child to respect a knife and how to use and maintain it then it's a great thing. I've loved and respected knives ever since, and it set me up for bigger responsibilities, and toys, later on in life. But that was a different time
Today when they'll expel kids for having a knife and when some regular people can react quite badly, you really have to excercise judgement as to when and where, and be sure the child can too.
I think kids miss out on a lot of things today.
 
hhmoore said:
I have to ask - I can't help myself...
How does the budget affect on which finger(s) the knife closes?
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3. I would suggest something with a lock unless your local laws forbid a locking knife. I love SAKs but a young knife owner might have a knife close on their fingers. Which one? Depends on the budget. A Kabar Dozier or mini Dozier at $18-20 is a good first inexpensive knife.

There were a few different points in my #3.
a) I'd suggest a knife with a lock
b) Most SAKs don't have locking blades, so I don't want them to close on someone's finger(s).
c) Which knife would I suggest for a first knife? It depends on the budget. I just listed 2 good inexpensive knives with the Kabars.

The "Which one? Depends on the budget." had nothing to do with the previous sentence.

I edited my original post for clarity. I have slight dyslexia, I have to read and re-read my posts a few times to fix stuff like that.
 
Luke Scrase said:
How old do you have to be to edc a folder? Where can you carry one? What is the best first edc folder for a first tie knife carrier?
Click to expand...

Guess my post really only answered when my daughter got her first edc....

How old do you have to be? Check your local laws first. Now laws, well then it’s really up to you - or your parents/guardian if your really young. A
So be aware that, if you are rather young, LEOs are gonna give you a lot harder of a time if they find it on you then they would be with someone like me, who is in their late 40’s.

Where can you carry one? Again, check your local laws. And again, realize that, if your young enough, you’re gonna be looked than me, in places that are questionable. But also be aware that there are certain places, no matter what your local laws are, that are completely off limits. Airport terminals, certain federally owned buildings, post office... this is also where your age will be a big factor. No one can walk through security at an airport with a knife, but I walk into my local post office all the time with a knife and no one looks twice, even though there is a no weapons policy posted on the door. So just know your laws, and what is acceptable, not just legal.

First EDC folder? That’s a whole other can of worms. What’s your budget? What to you want to carry it for? Do you like slipjoints or locking? Deep in your pocket, or clipped? I say, if you’re young enough that carrying a knife could potentially give you some sort of hassles in your area, start with something small, inexpensive, and discreet, just in case, god forbid, a cop, security guard, teacher, etc, find it on you and decides to confiscate it. Lots of good, inexpensive stuff from Kershaw under $50, as well as other companies. Or go with a traditional style slipjoint or a smaller SAK. Heck, for that same $50, you could buy a one of each, and decide what works best for you.
 
gazz98 gazz98
Your other post was fine; and it was clear enough what you meant... my comment was an attempt at humor, not criticism.
 
I was probably three years old when I had my first “knife.” It was actually a little manicure multitool folder not unlike a sak. Probably by age 8 I was borrowing my dads sak to whittle & horse around camping and our backyard. By 10 I had several traditional folders. I remember playing with my buddies dad’s Leatherman tool in 6th grade and I just loved it. I asked my mom for one instead of a few months cash “allowance.” In 7th grade, 1990, the original Leatherman Tool became my first true EDC.
 
Alldayap28 said:
I couldn't believe my eyes the other day when I just found out about the new tobacco age law. (I don't watch the news ever cause it's boring and negative). So if the government wants to maintain EXTRA control overwhat we can and cannot do and you have to be 21 to buy both tobacco and liquor, then i think you should have to be 21 also to carry a legal EDC knife as well as go to war. Fair is only fair
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That’s going to help, you see an unfair law that you can’t change, so for the sake of spite you want to expand unfair law to cover more things that are unconstitutional. Makes sense to me .
Here’s a kicker, you have to be 25 to rent a car, so using your logic, everything from smoking to buying an aspirin, from riding public trans, to buying tide pods should be restricted to those 25 and older.
If this line of thinking goes unchecked, half of us will be in the grave or retirement home before we are legally allowed to make adult decisions.

Prolonging age restrictions doesn’t seem to be helping anything except making sure kids grow up later in life.

I am no more mature now than I was when I was 16, a bit wiser sure, more experienced, certainly, more grey hair in my beard, yep, but I made responsible decisions then, at least at responsible as I do now.
mid anything I was more cautious when I was younger, I had less experience so played it safer and had more life ahead of me to protect. Now I have done enough and seen enough that I don’t worry about dying and take more risks.

I enlisted in the military at 17, if you can legally be allowed to sign your life over to the government at 17, you should be able to buy cigarettes, beer, guns, knives, fireworks, and rent a car.

It’s pretty stupid when I had a literal license to drive a tank, complete with .50 machine gun, a .30 cal machine gun, and a 120mm main gun, but wasn’t old enough to rent a car to drive off post.
 
think I was 10ish when I always had a knife on me....seems like a whole other world....always had a knife in pocket at school or wherever and during deer season those of us who hunted kept our rifles in our school lockers...no one ever got shot no rifle went off accidentally or any shenanigans...my how times have changed...if you want to be on the safe side know ur local laws and every municipality has different laws/rules on knives at least around here they do
 
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